Zimbabwe rated the most corrupt nation in SADC‏

ZIMBABWE has been rated by Transparency International which released its latest corruption perception index placing the nation on number 163 from a total of 176 countries worldwide making it the most corrupt nation in the SADC region.

The politically volatile Southern African country is only rated better than four other African countries among which Somalia is rated the last with Sudan ranking worse ten places from Zimbabwe at number 173 while Chad and Burundi are sharing the spoil at number 165.

According to TI about two thirds of the countries and territories scored at less than 50 on a 100 scale they used an indication “of serious corruption problem”.

Corruption in Zimbabwe remains the country’s major hindrance to the attainment of an upward and transparent government where some public figures such as politicians just waking up with millions of dollars which they can never explain how they got it.

Of the government officials are people like Ignatious Chombo who has at least a residential property in virtually every town in the country by virtue of him being the Local Government and Housing Minister while Obert Mpofu now boasts of an empire in the country since his appointment as the Mines Minister with speculation having it that he has been looting from the diamond fields in Manicaland and beyond.

Corruption has become so cancerous that it has transcended to the least junior office bearers in the public service. The Zimbabwe Republic Police has been one of the country’s most visible corrupt organizations in government with its traffic section being one of the worst in SADC in terms of corruption.

“Corruption translates into human suffering, with poor families being extorted for bribes to see doctors or to get access to clean drinking water. It leads to failure in the delivery of basic services like education or healthcare. It derails the building of essential infrastructure, as corrupt leaders skim funds.

“Corruption amounts to a dirty tax, and the poor and most vulnerable are its primary victims,” says TI on its website.

Last year Zimbabwe was rated number 152 by the same organization and the current development indicate that corruption is far from ending in the country but rather in the increase.